"linked" colors?

[GrosseFreiheit]

I'm working a lot with different color schemes.
Therefore I'm looking for a possibility of "linking" several colors together. Linked colors would simply keep their relative position to each other on the color-circle. This would be useful to keep complementary colors, for example.

I'd think this might be a great option, particularly for global colors.
I just wonder, if its already implemented and I just didn't find the functionality.

If there is no such option ... maybe this topic can be moved to suggestions? ;)
(My naive mind suggests, this may be a relatively easy thing to implement.)

[GarryP]

You can create your own palettes in the Swatches Panel to keep your own sets of colour together.
You can create complimentary colours by using the Hamburger menu in the Swatches panel.
See the Help for the Swatches Panel for more information.
If this isn’t what you need then you might need to explain a bit more about what you want to do, specifically what exactly you mean by “linking”.

[lacerto]

(...)

[GrosseFreiheit]

1 hour ago, GarryP said:

 you might need to explain a bit more about what you want to do, specifically what exactly you mean by “linking”.

What I'd like to achieve is the following:

1. I define a global color (that works well)
2. I define another global color (still works)
3. I define the 2 colors as "linked" (probably not possible)
4. I change one of the "linked" colors
5. The other color automatically changes to retain the relative position on the color wheel.

As an example: I set the first color to red. I set another color on the opposite side of the color wheel (in this case some turquoise tone) and "link" (or group) them together
After the "linking" both colors are connected. In this case they are something like 180° apart from each other.
Now if I change the red to yellow, the linked color also changes towards blue, keeping the 180° distance.
The colors are not necessary global colors, but I'd consider this option particularly useful for that.

This system could work not only with two complementary colors, but with any given initial position and number of different colors. 3 similar colors that are only 10° apart from each other also would keep their relative position.

I hope that helps understanding the concept a little better.

[Murfee]

20 minutes ago, Lagarto said:

you cannot create a child swatch (e.g. tint) that retains a link to the parent, thus making it impossible to create complex color relationships

Although you can't create swatches that relate to the parent...I wish it was possible. You can assign tints to objects based on a global colour, if the global colour changes so do the tints. All that is needed is for you to assign the global colour, then with the item that is to have the tint selected edit the global colour's tint. I have attached a sample with a document palette with one global colour. To see the changes just edit the global colour.

Now all we need is for the Affinity team to set up a theme designer with proper linking in the palettes so that we can choose colours and change the whole theme by changing one master global colour so that it stays harmonious.

 

Global Colour Tints.afdesign

[Murfee]

4 minutes ago, GrosseFreiheit said:

I hope that helps understanding the concept a little better.

I understood it GrosseFreiheit, I think it is a great idea😀

[lacerto]

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[Murfee]

Hi @Lagarto, It would be a great addition, most users would appreciate something like this. Affinity apps are part way there so it shouldn’t be too difficult to link swatches.

[GarryP]

Thanks for the extra explanation GrosseFreiheit, I think I understand it now.
As with the other respondents, I think this might be a nice addition.
One way to implement something like it, without cluttering the UI too much, could be (and I haven’t put a lot of thought into it) to allow the user to specify some kind of ‘offset’ (degrees around the colour wheel, perhaps) to a whole palette. You set up your palette of colours and then you can ‘spin’ the colours around the wheel by changing a single value. Not an extensive implementation but might be useful to most people without making things too complicated for the user.

[GrosseFreiheit]

There is no need for any kind if "UI cluttering". Linked swatches could simply be grouped in a slightly thicker frame.

I even feel the (subtle) indicators of the coreldraw screenshots would be too much here.

Maaaaaaybe the the user could choose (in a context menue) which of the 3 possible adjustments will be synchronized: color, brightness, saturation. But I wouldn't add any more number-entering-thingies.

Actually "synchronizing" might be the affinity-like term, and could explain the function better.